Lisa Schatz: Election Fever, Austrian-Style!

It’s never been a more engaging time to have one’s eye on the political scene. Will Donald Trump’s bombast steamroll over Rubio and Cruz? Will Hillary “feel the Bern”? Will Alexander Van der Bellen get enough people to sign his Unterstützungserklärung?

Sometimes it’s hard to remember that the United States isn’t the only country in the world currently going through an election season. Thankfully we have Brooklyn-Based-but-Vienna-born director, motion artist and ADC Member Lisa Schatz to help us out. Working with the Austrian ad agency Jung von Matt/Donau, Lisa directed, illustrated and animated this video in order to get Green Party candidate Alexander Van der Bellen on the ballot for that country’s April 24 presidential election.

“Each candidate needs 6000 supporters to be able to run for president,” explains Lisa. “The video explains that you can download the ‘Unterstützungserklärung’ — the form for you English speakers — on the candidate’s website, fill it out at home and sign it in front of a public officer before you can send it to the candidate’s office.”

“In the last 70 years, Austria has either had Social Democrat or Christian Democrat presidents,” Lisa continues. “This is the first time there’s a chance that this could actually change.”